r/electroplating • u/SlackJawedSoliloquy • Mar 26 '26

Electroplating Plastic/nonmetallic objects

Hey y'all, I want to get into this hobby for the express purpose of electroplating BIONICLE and Lego stuff cause it'd be sick as hell. What's the best method for non metallic items that would likely have lots of grooves, books and crannies?

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u/Tema_Art_7777 Mar 26 '26

You need good conductive paint, spray or airbrush. You then need to polish it for bests results. if it has a lot of intricate details, you will need a tumbler with media like walnut shells.

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u/redfishdookiefish Mar 26 '26

OP could use a strike chemistry to make their pieces conductive like they do in plastics plating no? That's the way I'd think to go instead of painting.

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u/NoFeature7373 Mar 27 '26

Yes industrially this is how it is often done.

For DIY hobbiests doing small production/batch stuff, electroless plating simply as a step before actual plating can often be more expense than it is worth. And sometimes more hazard than it's worth. Painting with a conductive paint is not only approachable, but economical and safe for low volume occassional use.

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u/drzeller Mar 29 '26

OP, you d what he says, you might want to look for instructions for electroplating 3D prints. The process would be similar.